I was hogtied to farmer’s quadbike after he claimed I was ‘trespassing’ – but I was only trying to get mate’s bike back
A TEEN who was hogtied to a farmer’s quadbike after he was ‘trespassing’ claimed he was only trying to retrieve his mate’s bike.
Leland Hornby, 17, was “frightened to death” after farmer Neil Greenwood, 52, captured him and a pal at his farm in Trawden, Lancashire on Sunday.
The teenager claimed they were on Greenwood’s property innocently to pick up his friend’s electric bike they left there the day before.
But Greenwood took matters into his own hands after he found the pair ‘trespassing’.
They were frightened to death. Absolutely terrified. The pair of them have nearly fallen off the quad bike
Leland's mum
He tied their hands and ankles together before placing them on his quadbike and delivering them to the nearest police station in Colne.
Leland told The Sun: “My mate had been riding his electric bike across the farmer’s field the night before.
“He went to leave but the farmer had locked the gates so he left his bike there overnight.
“We went back the next morning to get it but it wasn’t there.
“As we walked back the farmer came up behind us, jumped off his quad bike and tackled us to the ground.
“I tried running off but he chased me down.
“He tied us up, pulled our hoods over our heads, threw us onto the quad bike and took us to the police station.
“We were bound by our hands and feet. We couldn’t move. I was on the back of the quad bike and my friend at the front.
“He said he was going to drive us to the bottom of a lane. I was scared of what he might do.”
The 17-year-old, who works in construction, said he and his pal were flung onto the bike but not strapped down.
He went on: “We almost fell off a couple of times. We shouted at him and he just replied ‘let me know when you’ve fallen off’.”
Shocking CCTV footage showed the lads, aged 17 and 20, trussed up “like rabbits” across the front and back of the quadbike.
Images revealed Greenwood driving through the streets on the way to the police station.
Leland’s mum added: “They were frightened to death. Absolutely terrified. The pair of them have nearly fallen off the quad bike.
“I’m really upset about the whole thing. He’s disgusting for what he’s done.
“Phone the police by all means, if they’re trespassing, but don’t take matters into your own hands and hogtie them.”
Greenwood was hauled in for questioning by cops after he turned up at the police station and the farmer was arrested for false imprisonment and assault.
He has since been bailed pending further investigation.
The farmer was back on his farm yesterday but declined to comment when approached by The Sun.
Police statement in full
A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said: “We were called to a remote property in Trawden at 11.26am on Sunday by a man who said he had detained two males.
“While police were making their way to the property, we received a second call from the man to say he was now at Colne Police Station with the two males he had detained.
“When officers went to meet the man, they found a teenager and a man in his 20s on a quad bike with their hands and feet tied.
“They were not secured to the quad bike.
“A 52-year-old man from Trawden was later arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment and assault.
“He has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.”